Fuel Price Protests in England Add to Road Chaos in Holiday Road Network
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Fuel price protesters kicked off their day of disruption on the 'holiday road network' in south-west England as they were pictured driving incredibly slowly on the M5 in Somerset on Friday - while police followed quietly behind.
The Avon and Somerset force said a "protest convoy of about 10 vehicles" had entered the motorway northbound at J24 for Bridgwater, SkyNews reported.
Police warned previously that the M4 and M32 could also be affected.
Fuel Price Stand Against Tax, a Facebook group with 53,000 members, shared a post suggesting activists will assemble "nationwide" to make their voices heard.
Protests are planned in Birmingham, Cardiff, Liverpool, London and Manchester.
An estimated 18.8 million leisure trips are planned in the UK between Friday and Monday, the RAC said, as schools across England and Wales break up for summer.
The M25 is feared to be worst-affected by traffic jams not caused by protests, in particular stretches between Bromley and the Dartford Crossing; Maple Cross and the M3; and the M23 to the M40.
The first stage of the action has seen vehicles slowly travel north on the M5 between Bridgwater and the Almondsbury Interchange. They will then move east along the M4 and to Junction 1 of the M32.
The convoy is expected to leave the motorway and stop 'for a period of time' before completing the same route in reverse, arriving back in Bridgwater 'in the early afternoon', police said.
A second group of protesters is planning to drive slowly to the Shell petrol station in Bristol Road, Bridgwater.
Figures from data company Experian show the average price of a liter of petrol on Wednesday was 187.5p, while diesel was 196.1p.
Transport analytics company Inrix believes the M25 - London's orbital motorway - could see some of the worst jams due to the summer getaway, singling out the stretches between Bromley and the Dartford Crossing; Maple Cross and the M3; and the M23 to the M40.
Fuel price protests on July 4 led to 12 people being arrested on the M4.
Today's protests come after petrol stations were accused of ripping off drivers, with average unleaded prices allegedly 14p per liter higher than they should be.
The average price at which retailers buy petrol has fallen by 17p a litre since the start of June.
But prices at the pump have dropped by a "paltry 4p", the data showed.
The RAC believes motorists should pay 174p a liter of petrol and 189p for diesel.
But the average price of a liter of petrol on Wednesday was 187.5p, while diesel cost 196.1p, according to data company Experian.
